The human spine is a biomechanical structure with thirty-three vertebral members, and is responsible for protecting the spinal cord, nerve roots and internal organs of the thorax and abdomen. The spine also provides structural support for the body while permitting flexibility of motion. A significant portion of the population will experience back pain at some point in their lives resulting from a spinal condition. The pain may range from general discomfort to disabling pain that immobilizes the individual. Back pain may result from a trauma to the spine, be caused by the natural aging process, or may be the result of a degenerative disease or condition.
Procedures to remedy back problems sometimes require correcting the distance between vertebral members by inserting an intervertebral device (e.g., spacer) between the members. Dynamic interspinous spacers are currently used to treat patients with a variety of indications. Essentially, these patients present a need for distraction of the posterior elements (e.g., the spinous processes) of the spine using a mechanical device. Current clinical indications for such a device may include stenosis, disc herniation, facet arthropathy, degenerative disc disease and adjacent segment degeneration.
Currently, marketed interspinous devices include rigid and flexible spacers made from PEEK, titanium, silicone or some combination of other implantable materials. However, these devices require an open technique to be implanted, and many require destroying important anatomical stabilizers, such as the supraspinous ligament. In particular, the current technique for placing such spacers between the interspinous processes is to cut the interspinous and supraspinous ligaments and slide the device over the adjacent spinous processes.
Thus, a need exists for improved spinal implant systems and methods for implanting such systems which are minimally invasive and minimally destructive of important anatomical stabilizers. The systems and methods disclosed herein address this need.